Spring 2020

Catherine Thomas
Discovering Acrylic Paint

Students will create a variety of paintings with acrylics on acrylic paper culminating into a full painting on canvas in the final classes. NO experience or specific skills are needed. The focus of this class will be to both introduce some basic techniques in acrylic painting, but most importantly, build student confidence and instill a sense of accomplishment and joy in painting. Students will paint specific paintings together—along with the instructor—as she provides step by step instruction. This eliminates fear and provides a foundation and positive experience as the students begin to develop a sense of familiarity with the medium and how to use it successfully.

STEM for Kids SRQ
Biomedical Engineering

In this program, participants will explore the skeletal system of the human body. The skeletal system supports and protects the body while giving it shape and form. While learning about bone function, joints, fractures, participants will design their own cast and lower leg weight bearing prosthetic utilizing the Engineering Design Process. Activities include: The Skeletal Twister, Having a Ball?, Fracture It!, Cast Making Design Lab, Prosthetic Design Lab.

Mark DeRose
World Percussion

The course will cover:
a.) History - instruments & rhythms (particularly music styles) from around the world. A general idea of the world map and demo of various instruments from around the globe
b.) How percussion instruments are made and work--basics of construction, design, tuning, sound production
c.) Technique - how to play
d.) Reading & writing "percussion specic" music. In the beginning it will be important for the students to recognize the notes and rests and learn the relationships between them, then move on to more advanced notation
e) Playing together in an ensemble -- putting it all together to form our own percussion ensemble

We will explore North American drumming including but not limited to rudiments, popular styles and rhythms for drum set. Basic Classical percussion will also be presented. The presentation for these study points will naturally be tailored toward the age group in each class.

Rick Knowlton
Scholastic Chess

My long-standing and most popular class. Students of all levels welcome, from beginners to experienced players. Learn the ocial rules and best strategies to understand and win at the world's greatest board game. Attention will be given to improving each student, whatever their current level of understanding. Class will be augmented by information on tournament procedures, chess notation, chess culture and history, as well as interesting variations and new ideas in chess.

Elaine Chandler
Peacekeepers

If there is more than one person in any household, there will be bickering and conflicts due to each family member’s particular personality, learning style, and frame of reference. Peacekeepers, a social emotional course for children in grades 2 through 6, is designed to show how to navigate this combination of human factors, and work through everyday conflicts and problem situations, to a point where conflicts virtually disappear.

This program was birthed many years ago in a third grade classroom where I observed a conflict happening every six minutes (yes, every 6 minutes!). After working with the class every day for six weeks, conflicts were greatly reduced, to just two a week, and maintained throughout the rest of the school year.

In this course, we will talk about “not so peaceful” scenarios, how fights happen, what to do, how to act (instead of reacting), how to deal with anger, how to connect with one another, as well as peaceful strategies to use every day. A multi-sensory approach, including the use of comics, videos, role-playing, and art will be used to make this a fun and engaging course.

Gabrielle Lennon Knowlton
Criminal Minds

We will read material about, and then discuss, various aspects of and impacts on criminal minds. These include pieces about prison systems, capital punishment, human trafficking, drunk driving, child abuse, sociopathy, and more. We will also read fascinating pieces about some famous criminals. We will see that one can not say, "The Criminal Mind," since each individual who commits a crime has his or her own unique mind. We will learn about aspects of many of these minds. If the students would like, we can also write about what is marinating in our own minds from these explorations. This can be anything, from feeling fascinated and why, to fears, to anything at all.

Nancy Pantano
Stories & Seeds

In this class children will explore the exciting and wondrous world of gardening through stories and hands-on planting of seeds and sprouts. Each class will offer a different adventure through the garden; we will discover how fruits, vegetables and flowers grow and become plants from seeds. Children will hear the stories of Eric Carle (the Tiny Seed), Jean Richards (A Fruit is a Suitcase for Seeds), Ruth Krauss (The Carrot Seed), Patricia Polacco (In Enzo's Splendid Garden), and many more! At the conclusion of each story, children will delight in planting their own seed or sprout to take home and care for. A Fun and educational class created especially to nurture the love of growing a garden, for children ages 3-5.

Catherine Thomas
Entrepreneur Experience

Students will learn, explore and EXPERIENCE the processof being an entrepreneur. We will form an imaginary company and actually bring a product to market during the course of the class. Each student will invest $20 into the working capital (supply fee).

Step 1: We will evaluate our market (the homeschooling families). Who are they made up of and what things would they be interested in buying from our company? We will look at understanding market timing and consider ideas for St. Patrick’s Day which would be good opportunity to introduce a seasonal product to market.
Step 2: We will brainstorm product ideas and each student will propose one or more possible product ideas and be required to research the costs in producing it as well as the possible profit potential from that product.
Step 3: The group will vote on what product(s) we choose to produce (depending on the capital we have to work with). We will discuss risks and emphasize the importance of controlling costs in order to maximize profits.
Step 4: Roles will be assigned for production, marketing and delivery of our product(s). All students will learn how to manage a ledger where they will keep track of our bank balance, learn how to write checks to our suppliers and monitor profit and losses.
Step 5: We will market our product(s) to the homeschooling families.
Step 6: We will sell our product to the homeschooling families the day before St. Patrick’s Day.
Step 7: We will record and evaluate if our sale was successful, evaluating things we did well and things that we didn’t anticipate that could have gone better. (This step is very important because things rarely go perfectly as expected in real life.)
Step 8: All students will write a check to themselves for their share of the profits (if there are profits to be disbursed). Note: This is NOT theoretical. Students will actually receive profit earned for their efforts. There may be profits or there may not, but either way, it is a GREAT lesson in the real-life entrepreneurial process.

It is important to see how much work goes into delivering a product from start to nish and how there are many factors (and unexpected events) that can impact the outcome despite the best laid plans. There will be a lot of focus on planning and researching because the biggest mistake made by new entrepreneurs is often lack of planning and realistic evaluation. There will also be emphasis on understanding risk, but at the same time each week, there will be sharing of real life stories of successful people who experienced many failures prior to their success. Being an entrepreneur can be incredibly rewarding but this class will give students a realistic experience and expectations. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

It will be fun and highly interactive. It is also an important lesson in responsibility and Course Description: *teamwork. Each student will be required to perform certain tasks throughout the process and their "coworkers" will be relying on them to meet their promises. For example, if someone is assigned with making yers to promote the sale and no yers are made, it will hurt the success of the sale for the company and the outcome for everyone. It will be a real-world experience in the entrepreneurial experience.

Zhani Glaab
Art Through the Ages

Join us to explore 3,000 years of art history by recreating some of the most famous and influential masterpieces. Each week we will focus on a different time period, style, and artist. Students will learn to recognize the works of the Renaissance Masters, and recreate famous works in the styles of Vincent Van Gogh, Matisse, Salvador Dali, and Frida Kahlo. By the end of this class students will recognize the key elements of Gothic, Realistic, Impressionist, Expressionist, and Surrealist artworks. This is a class where we learn by doing, and virtually all classroom time will be committed to hands-on projects. Students will take home a beautiful collection of at least 8 works including paintings and pottery.

Projects include:
Bonne Fresco painted plaster with water-based pigments.
Golden Egyptian Collar necklace.
Mesopotamian Clay Seals.
Ming Dynasty painted vases.
Gothic Stained Glass using tissue papers on glass.
Impressionism using oil pastels on black paper.
Van Gogh Starry Night painting in acrylic.
Melted Dali clocks (we will be using a toaster oven.)
Picasso faces using colored gluten-free air dry clays.
Matisse Paper cutting and piecing.
Mixed media self portraits.

Stacy Worden
Amazing Reptiles

Reptiles are amazing! Have you ever wondered why reptiles like to sit in the sun or how some reptiles can change color? In this class we will explore what makes a reptile special. Classes will include games, crafts, a nature walk, and mini experiments to find the answers to our questions about reptiles. Classes will begin with a song and a story followed by a class activity and craft. Each class will end with music and dancing.

Freddie Lamoreaux
Bricks4Kidz

In our Jr. Robotics lab, students will be challenged, at their individual levels, to design and create motorized machines and robots. Each week new STEAM concepts will be introduced as they build upon the knowledge and have the opportunity to advance at their own pace. All materials are supplied and students will have access to a variety of motors, sensors and software. Our labs are designed to educate and entertain in a wholesome, noncompetitive environment while providing all the social and educational benefits Lego offers. There are different models and varying levels of difficulty depending on age and interest.

Rick Knowlton
World Board Games

Long before the world of electronics, human beings all over the world have been captivated by the strategic challenges created by simple game ideas -- that blossomed into very sophisticated levels of abstraction and analysis. Many popular games will be shown, such as mancala, backgammon, othello, and draughts, as well as great inventions from other parts of the world not so well known in the Western hemisphere. Intellectual stimulation promised for all ages and temperaments.

Gabrielle Lennon Knowlton
Writing Real-Freeing Your Powerful Inner Voice

A really out-of-the-box class. Lots of us hate writing because of experiences we've had with it in school. I teach it in a very un-academic way. We don't worry about punctuation, if it's "good," etc. (That's for revision. I do teach revision a little bit, and we do write in different genres, but the focus is writing from our hearts, guts, getting to our truths.) My class is a completely supportive, safe place for my students to explore their deep thoughts, feelings, and opinions via writing. To explore their souls. We have amazing discussions to rake our inner soil -- to loosen it up so things can grow more easily out of it. (A la the writing we then do.) Everyone can choose to share what they've written, or choose to pass, because I want students to say on the page the deepest, most real things for them. So they get to choose whether they want anyone else to see/hear it.

We will explore our inner worlds through self-expression on the page -- for healing, and creative inspiration and exploration. Fun, fascinating, and deep discussions and writing excursions to places in our inner worlds. Class is geared toward what the students who take it would most enjoy.

Sarah Palm
Survival Skills

Do you have what it takes to survive in the Florida wilderness for 3 days? In survival skills you will learn the basic human needs and simple, lightweight, and inexpensive ways to meet those needs in the wild. Topics covered are: how to have a real survivor attitude, natural movement, simple ways to get physically strong, knots, temperature regulation, shelter building, making fire, finding safe water, signaling, hunting/fishing, foraging/poisonous plants, navigation, wildlife safety and dangerous wildlife, and hurricane prep.

Nancy Pantano
Young Bakers

In this class students will learn the basics of baking, proper hand washing, following a recipe, precise measuring, using yeast, kneading and rolling out dough, and of course the art of baking!

At the conclusion of each class students will take home their delicious baked goods as well as the recipes. We will be creating such delights as mix-n-match muffins, fruit-filled pies and turnovers, donuts, cakes and more!

Ellen Goldberg Tishman
Launch Lab: A program for budding creators and entrepreneurs

Using excerpts of the Venture Lab (venturelab.org) curriculum students will learn about the mindset and skills of entrepreneurs . Activities will include group and team building, discussion, planning, prototyping, testing, and vocabulary building. Some of the weekly projects will include the marshmallow challenge and learning about the creations of several young entrepreneurs. Our syllabus will consist of formation of ideas through design thinking and iteration/prototyping while focusing on creativity, problem solving, failure, collaboration, dream team creation and identifying our own individual strengths. This is a STEAM class which promotes 21st century thinking skills.

Noelle Knight
Harry Potter 101

Calling all witches, wizards, warlocks, and magic loving muggles! Dive into the world of Harry Potter and design your very own wand, discover the science behind the magic, learn about the historical figures referenced in the books, author your own spells, concoct simple potions, and find out which fantastical beasts are known to both our world and the world of Harry Potter. Enroll now and uncover which Hogwarts House you will be sorted into!

Stacy Worden
Ocean Explorers

In this class we will dive deep into the ocean to learn about the animals that live there. Have you ever wondered what a whale eats or why dolphins play? In this class we will become junior marine biologists and find the answers to our questions about the animals that live in our oceans. We will work as a team to experiment, play games, and create special crafts to learn about a new ocean animal each week. Classes will begin with a song and a story followed by a class activity and craft. Each class will end with music and dancing.

David Hirschfeld
Video Game Creation

Don't just play games, learn to create them. Using game creation software, students will create a PC based video game. They will learn about events, actions, sprites and scoring. At the end of the class the students will bring home on a CD their finished game.

Sarah Palm
Herbal Medicine

Learn the basics of herbal medicine with local wild plants. We will go on nature walks, harvest and prepare medicines, and make a Materia Medica reference book to record info about the plants and medicines.

Gabrielle Lennon Knowlton
Unlikely Animal Friendships

We will watch short videos about unlikely friendships between humans and nonhuman animals, and between different animal species. Then we'll discuss issues, behaviors, and our feelings -- all relating to these videos. If the students would like, we can also write about what we feel, even turning what we write into creative writing pieces.

Nancy Pantano
Young Chefs

In this class students will gather around the counters to explore new ways to cook and turn food into mouthwatering dishes.

Students will be exposed to kitchen terms such as mince, dice, poach, saute, simmer, steam and more. They will learn to read and follow a recipe as well as improvise and substitute when necessary. Yields for common ingredients will be introduced, for example; 1 cup diced apple = 1 apple. Knife safety, and proper hand washing will be taught and reviewed each class.

In this class we will smell, taste, and flavor with different types of spices and herbs. We will create delicious everyday meals and also a bit of gourmet cuisine. Whether students have a lot or a little cooking experience, this class will help them take their cooking skills to the next level.

Ellen Goldberg Tishman
Cookie Art

In this 8-week class your instructor will share the art of creative cookie design. As an artist and designer for many years Ellen decided to develop her own cookie business a couple of years ago which is appropriately named Cookie Collage TM. She sells her visual treats in art fairs, and stores. Students will learn some unique methods to use in creating their own creative cookie designs while exploring some tried and true methods as well. This is a fun and creative class for budding and novice bakers.

Zhani Glaab
Exploring Biology 2

In this intermediate program, we will be exploring the science of living things through hands-on art projects and collaborative activities. Join us to explore cellular biology, animal physiology, and biochemistry in an accessible art class format that is perfect for creative kids and teens. Students will model DNA, turn the micro into macro art, and create anatomical wearables. All while learning the intricacies of plant and animal life, including their own bodies.

Topics include:
Plant and Animal Cell Biology.
DNA and Inheritance.
Homeostasis.
Biochemistry Basics.
The Musculoskeletal, Cardiovascular, Circulatory, and Neuroendocrine Systems.
Bacteria and Viruses.
The Human Microbiome.
The Scientific Method.

Activity Highlights:
Modeling DNA in 3D.
Plant and Animal cell models- ShrinkyDinks!
Tissue Identification mystery game and art project.
Veterinary Radiographs- turn out the lights and identify both anatomical markers and pathology.
Life-Size anatomy painting on aprons (yours to keep.)
Genetic Code game and bracelet making.
Checking and recording vital signs (spoiler alert- everyone takes home a stethoscope.)
And so much more.

Stacy Worden
I Wonder Why

Have you ever wondered why something happens? Are you curious about how things work? In this class we will work together as a team and create experiments to discover the answers to our questions. Join us as we test our theories using play, trial and error, and games. Each class will begin with a question. We will read a fun story about our topic and then brainstorm ways to work as a team to find the answer. We may build something together, explore outdoors, create an experiment, or make a craft to find the answer to our question. This class is very hands-on and social as we work in our class team to explore mysteries in nature.

Topics may include:
Why do boats float?
Why do things fall?
Why do I have a shadow?
How do airplanes fly?
How does a plant grow?
Why can I see different colors?
How are planets formed?
Why does it rain?

Noelle Knight
Drama Club

Join me for a lively semester of theatre, drama, and improvisation! Through the use of theatre games and exercises, students will develop ingenuity and inventiveness as they navigate the problems presented by the games. By playing together, students will become responsive to their peers, able to build an environment through behavior, and to transform ordinary objects into extraordinary ones. Students will learn not only a variety of performance skills but the basic rules of storytelling, literary criticism, and character analysis.

Gabrielle Lennon Knowlton
Environmental Science & Crazy Creativity

Each week I'll talk about an aspect of environmental science. Then we'll discuss the topic and ideas the talk sparked. Then we'll take it into creativity. We'll let our subconscious minds guide our pens, creating characters and stories about what we learn. For example, if my talk is about single-celled organisms, maybe I'd write a short story with characters who belong to a rock group called "Paramecium," and they have characteristics of this particular single-celled organism. We will go from the practical (learning about environmental science) to the creative (discussing solutions to environmental problems, for example), to the crazy creativity (wacky characters and situations based on the practical thing we learned that day).

Sarah Palm
Nature Play Outdoors

Explore and discover nature with Sarah. Activities include: natural shelter building, making tea and medicine with wild plants, discovering animals and insects, making mud pies, stick carving, crafts, journaling, and more. This is an outdoor, movement based class.

1 Bamboo shelter building
2 Butterflies
3 Stick carving
4 Natural instruments
5 Herbal tea and medicine
6 Mud pies
7 Fire math
8 Nature Crafts